Agastache plant named ‘Summer Glow’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct form of  Agastache  plant characterized by light orange yellow flowers, dark calyces, an upright branching habit, a long bloom time, and excellent vigor.

Botanical denomination: Agastache hybrid.

Variety designation: ‘Summer Glow’.

Parentage: Agastache sp. ‘Pink Pop’×Agastache aurantiaca ‘Apricot Sunrise’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Agastache, given the name, ‘Summer Glow’. Agastache is in the family Lamiaceae. This new variety is from a cross between a dwarf form of Agastache sp. ‘Pink Pop’ (an unpatented plant) as the seed parent and Agastache aurantiaca ‘Apricot Sunrise’ (unpatented) as the pollen parent. Compared to the seed parent, Agastache sp. ‘Pink Pop’, the new cultivar has light orange yellow flowers rather than pink. Compared to the pollen parent, Agastache aurantiaca ‘Apricot Sunrise’, the new cultivar has light orange yellow flowers rather than orange.

This plant exhibits the following characteristics that make it unique:

-   -   1. light orange yellow flowers,     -   2. dark calyces,     -   3. an upright branching habit,     -   4. a long bloom time, and     -   5. excellent vigor.

The new variety has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (cuttings and micropropagation). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by division and micropropagation as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The drawing shows a nine-month-old Agastache ‘Summer Glow’ growing in the field in late summer in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Agastache cultivar based on observations of a nine-month-old specimen grown in the greenhouse then planted outside in the ground in May in the trial beds in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. in August to an average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart.

-   Plant:     -   -   Form.—Upright.         -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Cold hardiness.—USDA Zone 7–10 .         -   Size.—Grows to 42 cm wide and 63 cm tall to the top of the             flowers.         -   Vigor.—Excellent.         -   Stem.—Square in cross section, grows to 4 mm wide and 63 cm             tall, sparsely pubescent, internodes range from 2 cm to 8 cm             long, Yellow Green 147B.         -   Roots.—White 155B, fibrous, plants root easily from stem tip             cuttings. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Margins.—Crenate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Truncate.         -   Blade size.—Grows to 40 mm long and 25 mm wide.         -   Surface texture.—Very short hairs on both sides.         -   Petiole description.—12 mm long and 1 mm wide, pubescent,             Yellow Green 147B.         -   Leaf color.—Top side closest to Green 147A, bottom side             closest to Yellow Green 147B. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Terminal spike with 7 to 14 whorls.         -   Number of flowers.—Up to 220 per spike.         -   Size of inflorescence.—9 cm to 39 cm tall and 5 cm wide.         -   Peduncle.—7 cm to 39 cm tall and 3 mm wide, pubescent,             Yellow Green 147B.         -   Pedicel.—2 mm to 3 mm long, pubescent, Yellow. Green 147B.         -   Bloom period.—June through frost in Canby, Oreg. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—15 mm long and 3 mm wide at the widest point prior to             opening.         -   Description.—Tubular.         -   Surface texture.—Pubescent.         -   Color.—Yellow Orange 22A. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—Zygomorphic.         -   Shape.—Bilabiate, tubular.         -   Size.—29 mm long and 10 mm wide.         -   Corolla description.—29 mm long and spreads to 10 mm wide;             color inside and out Yellow Orange 15D darkening to Greyed             Orange 174A under the calyx; pubescent outside and glabrous             inside, tube 22 mm long and 1 mm to 4 mm wide; 2 upper lobes             joined 3 mm long and 4 mm wide, ovate, acute, entire; three             lower lobes, two spreading sideways and curve down slightly,             each 2.5 mm long and 2.5 mm wide, acute, entire; the bottom             lobe broad, reflexed, obovate, notched at the tip, entire,             5.5 mm wide and 5 mm deep.         -   Calyx description.—7 mm long and 2.5 mm wide, pubescent             outside and glabrous inside, 5 lobed, lobes narrow, 2 mm             long, entire, acuminate, color between Greyed Purple 187B             and Grey 201A.         -   Pistil description.—21 mm long, ovary 0.5 mm long, Yellow             Green 146C, style 19.5 mm long, Yellow 16D; stigma             two-parted, 1 mm, Greyed Purple 187B.         -   Stamen description.—4 in number, paired with top two exerted             and 9 mm long and bottom two 7 mm long, filaments Yellow             16D, anthers 0.5 mm long, Brown 200B, pollen White 155A.         -   Fragrance.—Light herbal.         -   Lastingness.—A spike blooms for about 3 weeks on the plant. -   Fruit/seed: 4 nutlets, 1 mm long, ovoid, Black 202A. -   Pests and diseases: Agastache are known to be susceptible to mildew     and rust in dry summer months. The new cultivar has no known     resistances but has shown no problems in Canby, Oreg. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Agastache plant substantially as shown and described. 